For those who aren’t familiar, “bugging out” refers to grabbing your bug out bag and hastily leaving the disaster zone, according to Preparing for SHTF. Instead of panicking and not knowing what to do, you come up with a plan. The down side to this plan of action is that you don’t know for sure what you will need or what you will encounter once you leave your location, so it’s best to be as prepared as humanly possible.

What to Include in Your Bug-Out Bag

Before you can start on your journey of preparedness, you have to know exactly what your budget is, so you can know exactly what to pack, realistically. The five areas to keep in mind are food, water, shelter, security, and sanitation. Here are some basic items (list courtesy of Survivalist Prepper) to keep in your bag:

Fixed blade knife: These are durable and steady. They will last longer than foldable blades.

Folding knife: These are handy for smaller jobs where fixed blades are just too big.

Multi tools: From opening cans to cutting down small branches, these tools are handy.

Folding shovel: you can’t shovel with a multi tool, so this is good to keep around.

Lighters: Even though you will want a fire starting kit, it’s undoubtedly easier to use lighters.

Fire starting kit: You always want multiple ways to start a fire.

Water filter and purification tablets: You never know if your water sources are clean.

Important documents: This can be forms of ID or possibly even hidden money.

Survival manuals: This comes in handy if you’re in an unfamiliar situation and stressing out.

Finding a Good Bug-Out Location

When it comes to a bug out location, there are a lot of things to consider.

The first thing to keep in mind is that you want to keep away from the cities. More often than not you’re better off chancing the wilderness than an urban shelter. You want to be somewhere that isn’t as crowded. There are risks of transportation and other accommodations being shut down if you’re in the middle of a big city. Not only this, but provisions will become extremely hard to find.

Have a backup plan- don’t count on living in the wild. It’s a great idea for the reasons we just mentioned, but you won’t be the only person who would have thought of it. Only those who are experienced with the wilderness (campers, hunters etc) should focus on those areas. Depending on where you live and which part of the country, it might be just as dangerous as the city. You will undoubtedly come across others looking for the same necessities. Weather is also a big factor.

We cannot stress location enough. Living too close to the coast means an increase in population, which means fewer supplies, more disease, and easily more violence. You also need to keep in mind any weather issues that might apply to the area, such as blizzards, tornadoes, or earthquakes. These are all generalized guidelines, of course. Check out land or abandoned areas as soon as you can to make the best decision possible. Lastly, if you have the ability, look for higher ground or a place that is easily hidden.

Consider your support group. Do you have a family? Think about the size. Also, if you have extended family, is the distance achievable with one tank of gas? If you’re only working with one other person, it would be easy to be overrun and others can steal your supplies. Having more people can help with this situation, but you want to find a balance when it comes to supplies.

It’s good to be prepared for anything, but it’s smart to know your limitations, too.

Storing Items at Your Bug-Out Location

Now that you know where you’re going, it’s good to know how to stock your location as well. The supplies needed are going to be pretty similar to what your bug out bag should include; only you have the ability to store more of it.

You want to ensure that you have plenty of food and water along with tools, ammo, cooking utensils/equipment, and medical equipment. It should be easier to set up camp at your bug out location.

Let’s face it- once you get to your bug out location you want to ensure your supplies are safe, and stored somewhere that makes sense. Here are a couple of easy options:

Fireproof Safes

In cases of a natural disaster, fireproof safes are one type of safe you will want handy. Things like important documents, medicine, and water purification tools can easily be stored in this safe. These are items you want to make sure are around when you need them, but aren’t hard to reach. Not only will they be handy, they are more likely to stand up to the elements. With everything else on your mind, you won’t have to worry about the durability of your safe carrying your valuables.

Gun Safes

Bug-out locations are not going to be very effective if you don’t have ammo; or if it winds up in the wrong hands, for that matter. Gun safes are a smart and safe way to store your guns and other weapons that will allow only you to access them and keep potential children safe from them. One of your most valuable assets will be guarded in a gun safe, especially made to hold that kind of cargo.

Floor Safes

If you are looking to store supplies such as food or medicine, then it’s a smart idea to make sure it’s well hidden. You don’t want to let your items fall into the wrong hands, so you should seriously consider a floor safe. These safes are easy to conceal and allow you to rest easy knowing that no one unwanted will be snooping in your belongings.

If you have questions about which safes are best to use in your particular emergency, give us a call today.

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Commercial properties are subject to the same threats of burglary and vandalism as private properties. In certain areas, commercial properties are even more at risk because they are known to have money somewhere on the premises.

Owning a local brick and mortar business is high risk because it acts as an everyday cash machine, with money going in and out constantly. Because of this risk, commercial properties require high level amounts of security. A quality safe is one of these security precautions.

There are different types of safes, but the best choice for most businesses, is the floor safe. Floor safes are discrete because they are built into the construction of the office space. They are made specifically to the size and measurements which the floor can accommodate. Since the purpose of a floor safe is to be hidden, it must never extend past the level of the floor, which would defeat its overall purpose.

Most floor safes are built to have a lot of depth so they can securely hold many of the company’s valuables; money, documents, and other company assets. Normally a mat or remnant of carpet is placed on the floor over the safe’s opening to maintain security and discretion.

Floor safes, like most other safes, come with a secure locking system, a touchpad code or biometric reader. Another great advantage to installing a floor safe to protect your assets, is that when choosing a floor safe, you have the option of selecting a safe that can withstand the extreme temperatures of fire for at least thirty minutes, and one that can withstand flood water for the same amount of time.

Though floor safes can be fire-proofed and water-proofed to a certain extent, it is best that a commercial property have their own fire and flood alarms so that important items can be retrieved from the safe as soon as possible should a fire or flood occur.

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The most popular type of safe for the home is a floor safe, because they can be bolted to the ground and they are quite heavy. Not many home invaders will take the time to break into a safe, and they are entirely too heavy to try to remove from the home. There is another type of floor safe, too, that can be installed beneath the floor. This adds and extra layer of protections, for the safe can be completely concealed by furniture or rugs, much the way a wall safe can be concealed by artwork.

When you take the time to install a wall safe or a floor safe in your home, like the LaGard FF-33, then you should be sure to use it. It may seem like you can put off dropping your important documents or valuable jewelry inside for a few days, but it just takes a moment for things to disappear. You might think that these things can never happen to you, but they can, and they won’t wait for you to drop your things into the safe first. Keep those valuables protected, and make use of your new safe!

Studies show that most home invaders spend less than five minutes inside their target home. This means that anything you put inside a floor safe will likely remain safe, because it is not likely that any thief would take the time to crack the safe. In fact, floor safes are also easy to hide, as you can have them installed underneath the floor and cover them with rugs. It’s possible that it could go completely unnoticed. Investing in a LaGard FF-33 or a LaGard B2500 could be the wisest decision that you ever make.

Many people purchase a floor safe under the misguided notion that it will also protect the contents from a fire. The truth is that most safes that are built for security use materials that will cause the inside of a safe to reach soaring temperatures in the event of a house fire that reaches 1400 degrees Fahrenheit. You should be sure to specify when purchasing your safe, especially if you are seeking a safe that will protect valuable from both theft and fire. The safes are not created equally, and confusing one for the other could result in a devastating loss.

Not many home or business invaders are planning to spend more than a few minutes inside the target before getting out of Dodge. It is very likely that your wall or floor safe will go unnoticed by a thief. If he or she does notice the safe, the time it would take to enter the safe will discourage them from any attempt to remove the contents. Just by purchasing a LaGard FF-33 or a LaGard B2500, and making certain that you place any and all valuables inside, you could prevent the theft of your precious documents and jewelry. It’s definitely worth the investment.

There are two types of floor safes: one that is bolted to the floor, and one that is installed beneath the floor. There are many advantages to both, though the in-floor safes sometimes do not meet fire-safe guidelines. Safes that are bolted to the floor are extremely heavy, which can me a huge deterrent to a thief. Of course, the ones that sit underneath the floor can often escape detection. A floor safe is an excellent choice if your walls are not thick enough to consider a wall safe. If installed correctly, even the in-floor safes can protect from fire and burglary.

Stack-On makes an excellent line of gun safes called the TDS (Total Defense Select) line. All of these gun safes feature UL rated locks, ETL tested fire protection up to 1400° F for 30 minutes and waterproof protection of up to 72 hours in 2 feet of water. The TDS line also features plate steel construction and convertible interiors allowing for the storage of guns or valuables. Gun racks are height adjustable to adjust to the length of your guns. They also feature a handsome high gloss exterior finish and 5 spoke handles.

Locks are UL rated Type 1 electronic or Group 2 3-number combination dial. They feature a re-locking mechanism which will keep the safes locked even if the lock is removed during a break-in attempt. The locks are also protected by a hardened drill-resistant steel plate to protect against drilling attempts.

UL classified Gypsum wallboard and Palusol door seals are incorporated into these safes to provide fire and water protection. They are laboratory tested to ensure compliance and are also California DOJ compliant. The safes feature 7 large live locking bolts and 3 solid steel dead bolts on the hinge side to provide a total of 10 locking points.

These gun safes have a high-gloss protective finish with screen printing, which makes for an attractive appearance. The patented gun barrel rests can be installed at different heights to allow for the different lengths of your guns, and the patented standoffs for scoped guns allow for scoped guns to stand upright in the safe without taking up extra space. These gun safes also feature fully carpeted interiors with adjustable shelves which can be adjusted to meet your storage needs.

For more information on the Stack-On TDS line of safes, along with information on where to buy, visit the Value Safes website.

Diamond Back gun safes are a line of gun safes that combine quality with reasonable prices. Diamond Back makes two series of gun safes, the “L” series and the “H” series. The “L” series are designed to be tough and durable at a reasonable price. They feature 9 1-inch solid steel bolts to secure the door. They also carry a fireproof rating of 30 minutes at 350 degrees F internal temperature, and a solid 10 gauge steel body.

The “H” series features 10 1-1/2 in. steel locking bolts, a 3 gauge steel door that is double the thickness and twice the layers of fire liner, and a 10 gauge steel body. They carry a 1-hour 350 degree internal temperature fire rating. They also feature a drill resistant steel plate surrounding the locking mechansim and a semi-gloss finish that hides blemishes. For more information on the Diamond back gun safe.